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Living on the Edge of the World LbNA #47525

Owner:wood thrush
Plant date:May 23, 2009
Location:
City:Edison
County:Middlesex
State:New Jersey
Boxes:1
Found by: the cross-tie walker
Last found:Jun 26, 2016
Status:FFFFFaFa
Last edited:May 23, 2009
Special note 08.15!It appears the box may be missing again. Received a report that the railroad tie and spike were found, but no box. It may be nearby, or it may be gone for good. -- WT

About the box
Years ago I carved a stamp for a PLB series on travel posters. For some reason I thought it would be fun to turn the idea on its head. So, instead of carving, say, a Hawaii stamp, I’d carve stamps for a few under-appreciated locations.

I ended up really liking the carve I made for an industrial New Jersey city; it was my first attempt at a two-sided stamp, and I thought it turned out nicely. It sat for a long time in my box o’stamps. Finally, I realized I actually could plant the stamp in the wild on one of my trips to the Garden State to see Springsteen play at the Meadowlands. What a solution!

This is a very small Lock n Lock box; the stamp and log fit super tight. Bring the following ink colors for best effects: pinks, oranges, yellows, a red, and a black. Remember to use both sides of the stamp to create the desired effect. Also, be forewarned: the city depicted is NOT the same as the one where the box is planted.

The box title refers to an obscure Springsteen song that references the turnpike and New Jersey’s industrial landscape. It’s fitting for the stamp image.

To the box

First, a TICK WARNING! It turns out this box is in a terrible area for ticks. If you hate ticks as much as we do, you may want to consider only attempting this box in the winter.

This box should be easily accessible for locals, and not too much trouble for those traveling the New Jersey Turnpike. In Middlesex County, N.J., find the county park off of Mill Rd. (667) named for the famous inventor whose name is ubiquitous in this area. In addition to a number of athletic fields, this park is the place to be if you need to be trained for police work or have salt to deliver.

Turn left at the prominent signage, then drive until there’s a need to stop, look and listen. Once safely past this point, you’ll soon turn left on a road that obviously leads to the ball fields. Reaching a Y in the road, you’ll read a roster of the proud Board of Chosen Freeholders and be shown which way it is to the ball fields.

Go the other way.

Drive past a cluster of three picnic tables, round a bend and park in the lot. Head for those picnic tables. See the path just beyond them? Take this path to the right. Begin counting light posts once you are past the picnic area. Stop at the fourth light post, where there’s a swampy area to the left. At 190 degrees, 15 steps away, is a small cluster of young birch trees. Stand behind this cluster and, taking a reading of 160 degrees, walk into the woods 54 steps.

You will see all around you dying birch trees and small birch logs, and other trees beginning to take over.

You should end up at a large twin sweetgum tree. At 140 degrees, 8 steps away is another large twin sweetgum tree. Beyond it, due south at 11 steps, is a large triplet sweetgum tree.

Taking a bearing of 110 degrees at the triplet, walk 18 steps into an unremarkable thicket area of small trees and bushes. Spot the rotting railroad tie with an embedded spike still visible. What you seek is behind the tie, beneath SPOL and a cream-colored half brick.